Chapter 7

Thank you to Dark Drusilla, Buffy Maniac and Spike-n-Buffy-eva for your reviews, hope you enjoy this chapter. Please R&R.

Buffy, Spike, Dawn, Willow and Tara now stood in the middle of the foyer of the Hyperion.

"Oh, bloody hell Red! Why'd you bring us here? You couldn't have teleported us to my place?"

"Spike I've never been to your place before, and I knew that if we popped in out of thin air here, then no one out of the loop would see us."

Angel had smelt her sweet scent and came rushing down the stairs.

"Buffy," he exclaimed when his eyes fell on the woman he so deeply desired.

He walked right up to her, but when he was merely a foot away something strange happened. Buffy started to back away from him, slowly at first, but then more urgently as he continued in his advance, a look of fear in her eyes.

"Buffy?" he asked, completely and utterly puzzled by her action.

Buffy edged her way over to Spike and then buried her face in his chest, tears rolling down her face, Spike put his arms around her. As Angel stood in front of Spike he heard Buffy whisper over and over again, "Please don't let him hurt me."

"Buffy. I would never hurt you," Angel reached out to place his hand on her shoulder, but snatched it back when she let out a small shriek.

"Red can you bring Peaches here up to speed. I think I'll take Buffy back to my place. Dawn are you coming?"

"No it's ok, I'll stay with Willow and Tara."

"Right then. See you later."

Keeping one arm around Buffy the two of them made their way out of the hotel. When they were gone the rest of them went into Angel's office.

"Ok. What 's wrong with Buffy?"

"Well to put it bluntly. And believe me there is no easy way to tell you this..."

"Willow. Tell me."

"The Immortal raped her..." Willow began explaining.

"Bastard. I'll..."

"No. It's ok. Well not ok in the sense that it's the most foul, evil thing that could of happened, but Buffy killed him yesterday. The point is, I guess, that she's still badly shaken, apparently, ok obviously. Although that's the first time in a short while that she's pulled away from a man. That was kind of weird for all of us, and to get the wiggans from you, makes it all the more bizarre."

"Why did she go to Spike?"

"He was the one who saved her. Well damage had already been done, but he got there before the Immortal killed her."

"How did she..."

"Oh yeah, turns out the Immortal was a vamp, he had a gem of Amarra."

"Oh."

"Look, it'll take time, but she'll come around..."

"But why would she be scared of me?"

"I honestly don't know."

Buffy and Spike were now sitting in his appartment, she had stopped shaking now, and as much as it pained Spike to do so, he had to find out what had caused her reaction to Angel, and sort the problem out, he couldn't leave it like that, it wasn't fair on Angel.

"Buffy, love. Why are you scared of Angel?"

"What do you mean?"

"Buffy. Are you scared that he might hurt you, 'cause you know you're stronger than he is, and he would never hurt you Buffy, not even if he tried, he loves you."

"I don't know. My head got all confused, stuff got mixed up, everything bled together, but he did do it...and to so many girls..."

"Just like I did it to you."

"No, Spike. No. It was an acc...you know, you didn't...you just..."

"Tried to. It doesn't matter if I succeeded or not. I did it to you, I made you feel...I should be burning in the same hell as the Immortal right now."

"No Spike. Not after everything you've done for me. Yes it was wrong but you know that, you didn't even mean to, and you didn't even really do it..."

"Because you stopped me."

"Spike you...it was partly my fault, I was in the wrong to you know, the things I did and said to you."

"But what I did was worse. I should have to pay like him."

"But you're not him Spike, he reveled in it, he enjoyed it, he wanted to kill me, you didn't and I know you would never try to do that ever again. Spike you have paid. And with interest. Spike you have to stop punishing yourself. You got your soul back, you sacraficed yourself for the world, you saved Fred's life..."

"Yeah and look where she is now."

"That wasn't your fault."

"Maybe not, but that doesn't excuse all the lives I've taken."

"Save it. Why do you and Angel always do this. Whoever you were, that's not you anymore, you've saved countless lives, including mine, you've battled demons, you've endured torture, you've been to hell and back and you're still fighting.Are you telling me that all that is worth nothing. You have proven yourself to be a champion. You need to move onand just let it go, but you need to realise that to be truly redeemed you don't dwell on the past and brood, what's done is done, you fight and you keep on fighting, cos evil, pretty much never going away."

"But how could I live forever without you?"

"You won't have to."

"How's that?"

"Because you'll have me."

"But how?"

"Cos I got the same deal as you and Angel, and it was a two for one deal, Faith's immortal too."

"But when did this happen?"

"When we shut down the hellmouth."

"But..."

"Shhh. Just kiss me already."

"Right."